PIERROT
by redmoon333
Summary: This is a tale of love, betrayal and revenge. Of mystery and deceit. Of the best of friends and most bitter of enemies. Of pain. Of joy. This is the tale of Pierrot.
1. Prologue

Prologue

She had been sitting here for _hours_ already.

The cops weren't going to get any information from her, no matter how hard they pressed.

They honestly couldn't seem to be able to wrap their mind around how a 12 year old girl could kill someone.

She had to give them _some_ credit, at least, in the fact that they managed to catch her, even if it was with the help of a man prancing around dressed as a giant bat. And they thought _she_ might be the crazy one.

That was one of their many theories about her, anyway. As wrong as it may be.

No, the truth was the fact that she was _very_ much sane and _very_ much aware of what she was doing.

She was an assassin.

Well, "assassin-in-training", anyways.

This had been her first _real_ job, and she had botched it. Not in the fact that she didn't kill the guy; no, he was very dead at the moment. She had, apparently, not been as discreet as her master would have liked, for when she had attempted to contact them, so that she could be provided with the means to make her getaway, well…

The number had been disconnected.

She had managed to stay on the run for a few days, and then the Commissioner called in the Big Bad Bat. He had found her surprisingly quickly. Afterwards, she had managed to put up a good fight, but he had still bested her. It didn't help her chances with the fact that he had almost every advantage over her. She was still in training, after all. Or, at least, she used to be.

Now she was here, at the GCPD, watching all these cops bumbling about; trying to figure out _who_ she was, _why_ she did this, etc. It had been funny for a little while, as she kept messing with them and giving them contradicting stories. Listening to them argue about which one may or may not be true. But now she just found it _sad_. It was a wonder how they even managed to find out she was the one who killed the guy. Oh yeah, they had _Batman's_ help. Never mind.

Well, they could at least try a _little_ harder to interrogate her. Do the "good-cop, bad-cop" routine. Implement torture tactics. Anything! This was just too boring, too… _pathetic_.

Which brings her to the Commissioner. Commissioner James Gordon. He had been trying for the past 30 minutes, unsuccessfully, to get her to reveal anything about herself, anything at all. She, instead, opted to taunt him and play mind games. She could tell she was beginning to get to him. A call of his name drew both of their attentions. He gave her a last, withering look before heading outside the interrogation room. She sighed. She wanted to take a nap.

After a few minutes, the Commissioner came back in.

"We're going to stop here for now," Well. _Damn_. "But don't think that just because you don't tell us anything that you'll get off scot-free. Even being as young as you are. You killed people." She smiled pleasantly at him, just to piss him off. It worked.

"I know." She said, sweetly.

He gives a frustrated sigh, before ordering two other cops to take her back to her cell. She didn't make any trouble. She could have. She had done so several times before. But messing with them had lost much of its appeal. It wasn't fun anymore.

From within her cell, she watched as several cops begin leaving, with the Commissioner at the forefront, leaving only a few cops remaining within the station. Whatever had called them away must have been big.

* * *

She had been staring off into space for a while now, when all of a sudden, she heard gun shots from within the building. All of the cops in the room began to reach for their weapons and take some form of cover. A shot was fired from within the room, now. From a point where she couldn't see the responsible party. Damn. A cop went down, shot in the shoulder. The remaining cops immediately began retaliation and a gun fight with the anonymous assailants ensued.

At least this was a change of pace.

Most of the other prisoners cowered in the corner of their cells as the fight wore on. She, on the other hand, was moving frantically about her own cell to try and get some sort of view of the action. Damn these cops for putting her in a cell in the very back.

Eventually, the firing stopped. Footsteps began to make their way towards the cells. From the reactions of the other prisoners, she could only assume that the mystery shooters had won the fight. Some prisoners reached out, begging to be set free. Others cowered in the very backs of their cells, for fear of being killed as well. Finally, as the footsteps came closer to her cell, she was able to see who it was that had the gall to attack the police on their own turf.

She felt her face fall in shock. Clowns. They were clowns. Well, not really clowns. They wore clown masks. Still, it threw her for a loop. She had half-expected it to be her master. Definitely not clowns.

She composed herself as one of the clowns stopped in front of her cell.

"This is her," he barked at the others. With a few nods the rest of them went to go stand guard and keep watch. The clown turned back towards her.

"Our boss ordered us to break you out and bring you to him." She looked at him warily, for a moment. This random group of men in clown masks shoot up the police station, killing all remaining cops within, just to break one 12 year old girl out of jail? They were crazy. Their boss, probably even crazier. She shouldn't really go with them. She should either wait for her master to get her or, if she had truly been abandoned, try and escape, by herself. Of course, an opportunity like this won't come about again. And if she didn't like this "boss" then she could kill him and leave. She decided. Standing up, she gave the clown a wry grin.

"Well, I won't look a gift-horse in the mouth." The clown left for a moment to go fish about the pockets of the dead cops, in search of the cell keys. After several minutes of awkward silence (other than the prisoners still begging to be let out) and nervous anticipation, the clown FINALLY found the keys. He, then, unlocked the door to let her out. Afterwards, he let her out of her handcuffs and then waved for everyone to move out. They all exited the building, quickly, and loaded up in a large, kind of junky van and drove off before the rest of the GCPD came back.

* * *

So, here she was. Waiting. Sitting in some room whose main form of decoration was defaced copies of The Gotham Times.

Based on the "edits", she could infer one thing about the man referred to by the "clowns" as "Boss": he had quite the sense of humor.

From Mobsters "fighting for their right to party", to "How to Cook Vishnu the Elephant", she saw that his sense of humor ranged from dark and sardonic, to borderline childish.

She sighed. What had she gotten herself into? What kind of wacko would she be dealing with?

The answer to that question opened the door to the room and moved to stand before her.

Another clown. Although, he wasn't wearing a mask, like the others. He had pale skin and wild green hair. He also wore a lovely Chelsea Smile that was smeared with either red face-paint or lipstick; she couldn't tell. He also had his eyes covered in black make-up, as well.

So, a "scary" clown.

He grinned at her, and spoke.

"You know, you're much smaller than I expected." So _this_ was how it was going to go.

"I'm 12. How much bigger can you expect me to be?"

"Oh, I'm not saying it's a _bad_ thing! I find it hilarious!"

"Why am I here?" She spoke more coldly now. She was not going to sit here and be mocked by a man who wears a purple suit and make-up.

"Aw, don't be mad. Besides…you owe me." He became serious, then.

"Do I?"

"Well, I did break you out of jail."

"Who says I couldn't have gotten out myself? I can kill a man easy enough; breaking out of jail would have been a piece of cake for me."

"Oh really. Then what took you so long? If it's so easy for you, why didn't you make your grand escape earlier?" She didn't answer. She didn't have to. He smiles again.

"To answer your earlier question, well, see, I'm just fascinated by you. I'm watching the news, right? And here's some angel-faced little girl, the perfect image of purity and innocence, going around and taking people out! And then, to see this same little girl have the entire city in a panic as she goes on the run! It's the best thing I'd seen in a while! After you had been caught, I found myself thinking more and more about you and finally, I decided I just _had_ to meet you." He paused for a moment, calming himself down after somehow managing to get riled up, "See, I think you have…potential. With a little, uh, fine tuning here and there, you could be something quite…,"He paused here, trying to find the right word, before he finally settles, "Interesting."

"Interesting?"

"Think of it is as me…taking you under my wing."

"You want me to be your protégé?"

"Somethin' like that, anyway. So," He zeroed in on her then, focusing on her with extreme intensity, "Whaddaya say?" She became apprehensive.

"What if I say "no"?" His face hardens and suddenly she realizes that this man, despite the funny paper edits and the odd fashion sense, was very dangerous. She began to prepare herself for a possible fight.

"That, my dear, would be a _very. Bad. Idea_." His tone was threatening, and if looks could kill, she'd be dead thrice over. "See, here's the thing. I went through _a lot_ of trouble to get you here. I'm pretty invested at this point, so for you to say "no", well… well, that's just _not an option_." He ended with a derisive giggle.

She realized, then, that she couldn't win against this man. His mere aura was lethal. It crackled with an energy that made him seem unpredictable and violent. She would be willing to bet money that if she resisted too much, gave him too hard a time, it wouldn't take long for him to lose interest. She'd become a _burden_ , and thus, _expendable_. And then, he would kill her without a second thought. He was right. For her, "no" wasn't an option.

"Alright. I'm in." He grins.

"Good." He turns to leave, but she stops him with a question that's been irritating her since his goons first told her their reason for their assault on the police station.

"Who are you?" He turns, and stares at her for a moment, then erupts into peals of wild laughter. She jumps, startled. When he finally settles down, he looks at her, incredibly amused by her lack of knowledge.

"You really don't get out much, do ya kid?" He almost starts bubbling up again at the indignant look she gives him, but he manages to barely reign himself in, "I'm The Joker."

Oh.

 _Oh_.

That certainly explains a lot. She had heard tales of the infamous Joker. When she cared to listen to the idle gossip of everyone around. In truth, she hadn't expected to stay in Gotham for long, so had never really cared about what was going on in the city. She had never went out of her way to read or learn about him in any form of media, and so had never really been provided an actual image of what he looked like. This was her first time ever seeing the legendary Joker. The moniker definitely fit the image; that was for sure.

"Uh, what about you, kid?"

"What _about_ me?" He glared, then. A warning that she would have to tone back on the sass, if she wanted to keep living.

"Your. Name. _What is it_?" She tried her best to keep from showing that he intimidated her. Whether or not it worked, she didn't know.

"My name's Vivian. Nice to meet you."


	2. Chapter 1 - A Day in the Life

Chapter One

Jonny Frost was not the type of guy that was easily intimidated. Especially by some broad.

In the case of the woman in front of him, however, he would make an exception.

He was told her name was Vivian.

And she was one of the scariest broads he had ever seen. She wasn't ugly. Just…

Everything about her seemed…lethal.

She was tall, maybe a little taller than him, and she was built. Nearly every inch of her, that he could see, was covered in lean muscle. And also scars. A lot of them. Crisscrossing up her arms, to her shoulders and God knows where else. The most noticeable starting from her neck to peaking just above her jaw.

And here he was, staring at her like a dumbass, despite the fact that he was scared as hell of her.

"Uh, you wanna take a picture or something?" Her voice was surprisingly…sultry. When he looked at her, he imagined a rough voice. Loud and domineering. Hers was _deep_ and _smooth_.

He really needed to stop gawking at her.

"Look, I'll give you 'til the count of five, before I just shoot you."

"S-sorry! Ma'am!" She snorted.

""Ma'am"? Do I look like some kind of old lady to you?"

"N-no."

"Then drop the "Ma'am"."

"Alright!" He was practically squeaking. Like a giant fucking mouse.

"Just call me Viv. Everyone else does." She smiled gently at him, then. He smiled awkwardly back. "So, you're new, huh? How new?"

"I've only been working for the Joker for a few weeks."

"You must be pretty good, if the boss has already sent you my way." He found his confidence back, after that.

"What exactly do you do for the Joker, anyways?"

"I'm, uh, an enforcer, of sorts. Like other enforcers, I keep others, whether it's rivals, enemies, or even our own men, in line. But, unlike other enforcers, I use several other means besides violence and intimidation."

"Such as?"

"If I made you privy to those, it would put a very large target on your back. Are you sure you want that?" He swallowed.

"Nah. So, what am I s'posed to be helping with?"

"You and I are going to go take care of a little problem." She stands and motions for him to follow him, "See, recently, there's been someone who hasn't been grateful to the Joker for the share he's given them. They've gotten greedy and have begun skimming money from Joker's own portion, apparently thinking he wouldn't notice. It's not too large an amount, at the moment, but its best to nip this type of thing in the bud." They head outside and walk over to what he guessed was her car. She unlocked it and gestured for him to get in. He opens the door and climbs in.

"Shouldn't we be taking more guys? I mean, if this guy's stealing from the Joker, isn't he going to freak when you show up?"

"That's precisely _why_ it's just you coming with me. If I come with a big group, he'll definitely know what I'm there for. Now, as far as he knows, this is just a routine check-in. So, when we go in, keep your cool," She turned to look at him then, steel grey eyes penetrating straight through to his core. He felt his fear creeping up through his body and stopping at his throat, almost choking him, "Don't do anything to give us away. Every little word, breath, or movement could give us away. And if that happens, you're dead. I'm confident enough in my own abilities to know that I can get away with maybe some minor damage, but you…you'll go down pretty quickly. Or, at least you better hope you do. Because if you live, then I'll have to punish you for fucking everything up. And _that_ is not something you want, at all." She looked at him for a moment longer, before turning away to put the key in the ignition. He wasn't so sure he wanted to do this anymore.

The drive was mainly done in silence, with not even the radio to distract him from his thoughts. He forced himself to talk calm, steadying breaths; after Viv's little "talk", his nerves were shot all to hell. He would have had a smoke, but the minute he went for his cigarettes, Viv stopped him.

"Please don't smoke in my car." She had said it, sharply, without so much as looking at him. He gave a shaky sigh. She released a small chuckle, "I suppose I freaked you out, earlier. Don't worry about it. You'll do fine." He wasn't reassured.

* * *

They continued their drive in silence until they arrived at one of the Joker's many properties; a strip joint called the "Grin and Bare It". Ha. Funny. Upon walking in, they were immediately led to a back office where they met up with a guy called Monty. When he saw Viv, he started to get a bit nervous.

"Vivian? I thought I'd be talkin' to the boss…" Viv smiled and waved a hand like it wasn't a big deal.

"The Joker's busy dealing with some other stuff. Apparently, Dent's been stirring up some trouble." Monty visibly relaxed at that and went straight to business. Viv and Monty sat and talked for a while, with Jonny standing by the door. He didn't understand all this business talk, and decided to go off in his own little world.

After a while, they stood up, said their goodbyes and Viv began to head for the door. She gave Jonny a pointed look before turning back around.

"Oh, Monty…I forgot. There was one other thing I wanted to talk to you about…" She made her way behind the desk, to stand next to him, as she spoke. "See, I've heard some odd…rumors about you lately. I certainly hope they're not true." Monty began to get nervous again.

"W-what rumors?"

"See, I've heard that you've been skimming money from _Joker's_ portion of the profits. Surely, this isn't the case, right?" He gave her a small, nervous smile.

"Of course not, Viv! I'd be fucking _crazy_ to do tha-AAAGH!" Viv cut him off by grabbing him by his hair and placing a knife to his throat; her face smooth and cold like glass.

"You have the _audacity_ to lie to _**me**_? To my _**fucking face**_? I thought you were smarter than that, Monty." She tuts at him before forcing him to sit back in his chair, and presses the knife harder into his throat, drawing a bit of blood. Monty, the stupid bastard, begins blubbering and trembling all over. Viv continues talking, "Now…where. Is. The. Money?" Monty closes his eyes and sobs a little.

"I…I don't have it…" Viv pulls his hair even harder.

"Repeat that?"

"I DON'T HAVE IT!" He screams, tears are streaming down his face at this point. Viv sighs.

"What did you do with it, then?"

"W-wha-?"

"What. The **fuck**. Did you do with the money you **stole**?"

"I…I used it…I bought…stuff…with it…I…I can't get it back…" Viv gave a mirthless laugh. Keeping the knife to Monty's throat, she let go of Monty's hair and reached into her jacket to pull out her phone. She sifted through her contacts a moment before finding the number she needed. She put the phone to her ear, gave Monty a wide grin before speaking.

"Hi **Boss**!" She began cheerfully, "Remember that greedy little **rat** you asked me to deal with. Well, it seems he **lost** the cheese he stole and can't get it back. What would you like me to do with him?" Monty looked like he was about to piss his pants.

"Alright. Consider it done." Monty gave a long wail while Viv put her phone back in her pocket. Gently, she moved her hands to the sides of Monty's face, shushing him. "It's okay. I'm not gonna kill you." She smiled and gently caressed Monty's face. Monty looked at her stupidly, unable to comprehend what she was saying. Viv wasn't finished, "The Joker wants to have a little chat with you first. And then _he's_ gonna deal with you!" Just as Monty began to shriek, Viv slammed his head into his desk, knocking him unconscious. She looked back over to Jonny. "Tie him up." And she walked out of the room. She didn't have to tell Jonny twice.

* * *

Not too much later, she came back into the room with three other guys in tow. Two of them were big guys, to which she gave the order to load Monty into her car. Once that was done, she turned to the third guy, smaller than the others, and better dressed, too. She whispered into his ear a moment, before he moved towards the desk and almost sat in the chair. Immediately, he shoved the chair away from him.

"I'd go stop those guys before they put him in your car; take a moment to get him some new pants." He chuckled and gave an amused grin. "Seems you made him piss himself." Viv didn't waste any time before rushing out, ordering Jonny to come along.

As they drove along, Jonny trained his gun on an unconscious Monty. Who was now, thankfully, wearing clean pants. Vivian looked at him through the rear view mirror before speaking.

"So, Jonny, what valuable lesson did we learn today?"

"Uh…don't steal from the boss?" She chuckled at that.

"Well, yes, that's an important lesson to learn, as well. But, uh, not what I was talking about. Try again." Jonny gave it honest thought, before eventually giving up. Viv smiled pityingly and decided to just get to the point. "The main lesson to take away from all this is "Don't get cocky". Especially where the Joker is concerned. It's fun to work for him, be liked by him, and to have a bit of the power that comes with all that. But in the end, if you let it all go to your head, you'll eventually do something stupid. Like Monty here. And, like Monty's case, you _will_ get found out. And then, _you'll_ find out just how _expendable_ you are." Jonny swallowed thickly then. "And you _are_ expendable. We _all_ are in Joker's eyes. Never forget that."

They continued the rest of the drive without speaking any further.

* * *

Jonny watched as Monty's unconscious form was taken from Viv's car to some other location, presumably wherever Joker was waiting to have his "fun" with him. Jonny didn't envy the man; that was for sure. He jumped when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. He turned to see it was Viv. Seeing that she had his attention, she placed something in his hand: a nice wad of cash.

"Payment for a job well done."

"All I did was stand there…"

"If you don't want it, give it back." She extended her hand and raised a brow.

"Never mind." She gave a short, barking laugh. Then, she reached into her pocket and, once she had what she found, extended her hand to him, showing him what looked like pieces of candy in a small Ziploc bag. She smiled widely at him.

"This is your bonus. Take one." Well. Holy shit. He took the little baggy, opened it up, and popped a "candy" into his mouth. He handed the baggy back to her, after which she placed it back into her pocket, said farewell, and went elsewhere.

Jonny made his way inside and to one of the many chairs lying about their "base", contemplating his day whilst waiting for the high. He thought about his boss, who was probably torturing poor Monty right now. He thought about Monty, who had been stupid enough to steal from a _known_ _psychopath_. Mostly, though, he thought of Viv. He couldn't figure her out. One minute she was talking about how expendable he was, the next she's paying him quite a bit of money for doing nothing but standing there and looking intimidating. Although, he _had_ tied Monty up _and_ he had kept his gun trained on Monty in the car, even though the man had been unconscious and wouldn't have been able to try anything, anyway.

The whole time he spent with her, Viv had switched back and forth between cold and calculating to warm laughter and smiles. He couldn't tell if she was all over the place or if she was intentionally screwing with his head. It might have even been a bit of both.

As Jonny felt the first stirrings of his high, though, he decided it didn't matter. If the results were always like this, he didn't give a fuck _what_ Viv did or how she acted. So long as he could keep doing what he was doing and feeling the way he felt now. As long as he could keep climbing higher and higher, _nothing_ mattered.


	3. Chapter 2 - Enter: The Harlequin

Chapter 2

Months passed and Jonny found himself rising through the ranks. All because Viv had decided to take him under her wing; something he was grateful for. She gave him advice on how to act in certain situations, what to say, etc. She had especially made sure to show him how to deal with the Joker. How to talk to him, when to approach him, and how to tell what kind of mood he's in. Initially, he didn't take her advice too seriously. Then she told him a key bit of information:

She had worked for the Joker for over a decade.

She was his _right fucking hand_.

She worked hard for that title, too. She had watched as people came and went. Some left of their own accord and some were killed. Some were killed by enemies. Some of them, she killed. But most, she had told him, were killed by the Joker. There were times he would fly into such a rage, that anyone standing within a 10 foot radius was marked for death. Viv had done the hard work of learning for herself. She had told Jonny she had taken a liking to him, and decided to teach him so he wouldn't have to figure it out the hard way, like so many others before him had.

And he decided then that he'd be damned fool if he didn't take what she said seriously. Viv knew the business like the back of her hand. She was a fountain of knowledge and he, someone who was completely parched. And she was offering her knowledge to him _freely_. Knowledge about how certain individuals operated. How to know if someone was trying to fuck with him. And then what to do about it, depending on who it was.

Then, there was all the stuff she knew about the boss. And she knew more than anyone about anything having to do with the Joker.

So, when the boss strolled into the base that afternoon, after a particularly long stint at Arkham, with some crazy broad on his arm, Jonny had assumed that Viv would know who it was and what exactly was going on.

The blank look on her face, however, said that she had no clue. He started to feel a bit antsy. When dealing with the Joker, going into uncharted territory was risky business. Some would say too risky. Viv was not one of those few. Jonny watched as she "transformed". He had decided to start calling it that a while back, because that's almost like what it was. If you weren't looking closely, you would miss it. She'd relax her face into a neutral expression, roll her shoulders back a bit more, and stand straighter and in such a way that she would be ready to fight, should she need to. One second she was Viv, and all he'd have to do was blink and suddenly she was someone else. Someone cold and calculating. Someone deadly.

Both Joker and this new chick noticed the change immediately. The woman glowered at Viv. The Joker just laughed.

"Aw, c'mon Viv! Don't be mad!" Viv's eyebrow twitched.

"I'm not mad. Just surprised. Who is she?" The woman apparently took offense.

"Don't talk about me like I ain't here!" Viv smiled. It almost looked natural other than the fact that her eyes clearly showed she didn't like the other woman.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to offend you. May I ask your name?"

"The name's Harleen Quinzel!" The glare on her face quickly changed into a bright smile. "But you can call me Harley! Everyone else does!" Viv's face fell and the Joker started giggling.

"Harley Quinn? Like "Harlequin"?" She released a weary sigh and looked at Joker like a weary mother might look at her troublemaker child. "Really, boss. I understand that the joke is very funny, but why bring her all the way here just for _that_?" Harley gave an indignant snort.

"Mistah J did _not_ bring me with him because of my _name_!" She then grabbed "Mistah J"'s arm and grinned sappily up at him. "He brought me here because he _loves_ me."

Jonny's whole face went slack.

The Joker.

In **love**.

The _Joker_?

Was that even possible? From the look on Viv's face, he assumed that she didn't thinks so. Or didn't _want_ to think so. Viv's face returned to the cold mask as she spoke to Joker.

"We need to talk."

"Oh no you don't!" Harley made to lunge at Viv, but the Joker stopped her. "But Puddin'-!"

"Enough Harley." Joker cut her off. He turned and gave Viv what Jonny assumed was supposed to be a "dashing smile" before motioning her to follow him.

Jonny had never seen Viv in such a state. She sat in a chair, hunched over, just staring off into space. Her expression was stony and her entire body rigid. It was like she was a statue. Jonny walked over and sat next to her.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"She doesn't belong here." She hadn't even looked at him when she said that. She just kept on staring off at who knows what.

"What makes you say that?"

"Do you know what she was before he brought her here?" Jonny shook his head. "She was a _psychiatrist_. _His_ psychiatrist. He fucked with her head and told her some fake ass sob story and now she's fucking deluded herself into thinking that she knows Joker better than anyone else and that she has any right to be here." Jonny wasn't sure what to say, so he just stayed quiet so she could continue.

"And she's _deluded_ enough to think he's actually _in love_ with her! Her! A _fucking psychiatrist_! She should know better!"

It suddenly clicked, although he wasn't sure he should say it out loud. He decided to, anyway.

"Are you jealous?" Her head had snapped to look at him so fast, he wondered for a moment if she might have broken it. That thought flew out the window when he saw the expression on her face. Rage. But not hot and wild like the Joker. Hers was cold, hard, and unforgiving. He started to apologize, but he was immediately cut off.

"No. I am not jealous. I have no desire to _love_ ," she sneered at the word, "or _be loved_ in return." Her face softened, and Jonny let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "I pity her." That caught Jonny off guard.

"Why?"

"Joker isn't capable of love. He can fake it, so long as he gets something out of it. But the minute he loses interest or it becomes inconvenient, he'll let his true nature show. And I pity her for that." Her expression turned grim. "He's taken her away from everything she's ever known and has warped her so completely that all she has is him. And once he decides he doesn't want her anymore, what does that mean for her?"

He understood now. Harley Quinn didn't know a damn thing about how things worked around here. The only thing she seemed to "know", that the Joker "loved" her, was an outright lie. She was just some poor delusional woman who was clinging desperately to the hope of something that would never be.

She _didn't_ belong here.

She belonged somewhere that could help her piece herself back together again. If that was possible.

Viv's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"And he knows it, too. The Joker. He was almost bragging about it, when we were talking. He knows that he's got her wrapped around his little finger and that no matter what he will do, she'll always choose to stay with him. Even if it might kill her."

A heavy silence settled between Viv and him. The weight of it made it hard to breathe.

He needed a cigarette.

In her first few days, Joker's new dame had made it a point to try and get under Viv's skin. Jonny had thought it was funny at first, until, as time went on, he saw a hard edge in Viv's eyes. She was trying to be patient with the other woman, but Viv's patience only lasted so long.

And that was for people she _liked_.

As someone who was quickly becoming someone Viv _didn't_ like, Harley's time was running out. And fast. If things kept going as is, a fight would break out soon. And as crazy as Harley is, she didn't stand a chance when it came to Viv. Jonny had seen Viv in action. Knew what she was capable of.

And she was capable of a _lot_.

Jonny watched warily from afar as Harley followed Viv around all day, doing little things here and there to try and get a reaction. And finally, _SNAP!_

React Viv did.

In a flash, Viv had grabbed Harley by the throat and slammed her down onto the ground. Jonny, and whoever else was nearby, rushed over to intervene. By that time, Viv was _squeezing_ and Harley's face was a deep red. And nobody knew what to do. Viv was dangerous, almost as much as the Joker. And she was _pissed_. Getting involved physically was out of the question. It was not only unsafe for the other men, but for Harley, as well. On wrong move, and Viv might break her neck.

Jonny decided to try the diplomatic approach.

"Hey Viv," he greeted, although he sounded more like he was trying to coax a wild animal than actually trying to have a conversation, "You should let her go. This ain't worth you gettin' in trouble with the boss." She made no move to stop. "C'mon now, Viv! Just stop already! You proved your point! You want her to back off, and after this, she'd be stupid if she didn't! Just **let go**." Slowly, Viv relaxed her grip and pulled away. Harley immediately began gasping in air, curling up in a ball on the ground as she did so.

Viv stood up and began to walk away before immediately stopping dead in her tracks.

Jonny felt his stomach drop.

The Joker. He was standing _right there_.

For what felt like hours, nobody moved.

Joker was staring at Viv. Then he glanced down at Harley. Then his eyes trained on Viv once more, and odd light in his eyes. No one dared to make a move; anything anybody did in that moment might send Joker off into a rage. The unbearable silence continued on for a little while longer before the Joker gave a short, barking laugh, breaking the tension, and walked away. The minute he finally disappeared, everyone relaxed. Relief washed through Jonny like a hot shower, only for it to turn cold when he noticed Harley getting up, glaring hard at Viv while she did so.

She and Viv held each other's gazes for only a few seconds before both women went in opposite directions.

Jonny followed after Viv.

"What did she do to get you to flip out like that?" Viv stopped and whirled on him.

"Drop. It." Viv spat viciously. "Now." She spun back around and continued on her way, a little faster now.

Jonny sighed and scratched his head.

If things continued at this rate, he didn't think he'd survive it.

Or Harley.

Or even Viv.

He just hoped that as time went on, Viv and Harley could find some sort of way to get along. Or at least just co-exist.

Maybe that was hoping for a bit much.


	4. Chapter 3 - Sweatpants

AN: Not really a note, but an apology. I've been really busy at work lately (we are horribly understaffed) and haven't had much time to work on the story. I will try to upload chapters as regularly as I can, I just ask that you bear with me. Thanks!

Chapter 3

A few weeks after the incident between Harley and Viv, things seemed to calm down between the two. They definitely didn't like each other, but they each had more or less accepted that the other was going to stay around, whether they liked it or not.

Jonny had just got back from a deal with the local branch of the Russian mafia when he was approached by the Joker himself.

He brought Jonny aside and told him that he had an idea to help the two women get along better, maybe even become friends. Jonny doubted that was the case, but agreed to whatever the Joker wanted. No questions asked; as per Joker's one stipulation.

Now, Jonny found himself driving along with Viv, the Joker, and Harley.

Joker's "brilliant" idea was, apparently, a double date.

So, for their "outing" they drove all around Gotham causing all sorts of mayhem.

Joker and Harley were having the time of their life.

He found himself having a bit of fun, as well.

Viv wanted to be anywhere but there. He could tell just by the way she was staying so calm. No matter what was done, what was said, or anything else, Viv was practically serene.

Their next stop on their outing was to hit up a convenience store. As they got out of the car, Jonny noticed Joker looking everywhere around them for…something. Or _someone_.

So _that_ was the real reason for this outing.

He didn't care whether or not Harley and Viv got along. He didn't even care that any of them were there.

He was just _bored_ and decided that he wanted to piss off the Batman.

As they entered the convenience store, Jonny went on high alert.

No wonder Viv had been so calm. She had known all along what Joker's intention was and had been on guard for their entire "date", so far.

The minute they walked in, Joker and Harley massacred everyone in the store. Indiscriminately. While they began to pilfer anything that caught their fancy, Jonny and Viv kept watch. Jonny decided to break the silence.

"All this, for the Bat…" Viv smirked.

"When did you finally figure it out?"

"I knew the entire time." Viv snorted, giving him a disbelieving look.

"Jonny Frost, you are a liar." They both grinned at each other then, and Jonny realized that it had been quite some time since he had seen Viv smile.

He was about to say something, before he was interrupted by the Joker and Harley running out the door and into the car shouting "C'mon, you lovebirds! Let's go!"

With the moment ruined, both Jonny and Viv returned to their business disposition. They ran, hopped into the car, and Jonny took off driving as fast as he could.

* * *

It didn't take too much longer after that for the Joker to finally get what he wanted. In the rearview mirror, Jonny saw that unmistakable black car/tank quickly approaching them.

" _Shit!_ "

Joker began to laugh wildly, Harley joining him. Viv simply stayed calm. Joker rolled down his window, leaned almost entirely out of said window, and began to fire at the Bat's car…and anything else that may have been behind them.

He had caused a few other accidents, but did nothing to the Bat. Joker, slightly disappointed, came fully back into the car and began to grumble while searching for a bigger and more destructive gun in his arsenal, which he carried in a large blue duffle bag.

Jonny tried desperately to lose the Batman. He had just began to manage to get away when there was a loud _BANG_! And the car suddenly jolted and began to flip. For what felt like hours, the car flipped again and again. Eventually, the car finally came to a stop, upside down. And the only thing he knew was that _everything hurt._ Jonny somehow escaped from his seatbelt and slowly crawled out from the wreckage. He closed his eyes, momentarily, before his eyes snapped open at the sound of fast approaching footsteps.

Batman.

 _Fuck_.

Jonny began to try his hardest to crawl away, made all the more difficult by the pain he was in. He paused when he heard movement coming from the wreckage. He turned his body as best as he could so that he could see who else made it.

Both the Joker and Viv were making their way out of the car. The minute Joker was on his feet, he lunged for the Batman.

While this was going on, Viv got up and walked over to where Harley was. She opened the door and pulled the woman from the vehicle and gently laid her down onto the pavement, making sure to keep her head elevated.

So, Harley was alive, then.

After making sure that Harley wouldn't fall over, Viv then directed her attention to Jonny. Wordlessly, she walked over to him and began to assess his injuries.

"You're fine. Just a little banged up." Then, she spoke lowly so that only he could hear, "I'm going to help the boss fight off Batman. The minute I join in, you need to go find a car, any car, and come back here. Get us out of here. As quickly as possible. Do you understand?" Jonny nodded and began to stand up. It hurt like hell, but just as Viv said, he was fine.

The second she saw that he would be okay, she finally turned her full attention to the two men fighting in the street. Jonny watched as she slowly knelt down and picked up a larger piece of broken glass. She gave him one last look and a nod before she ran full force for the Batman.

Jonny didn't hesitate. He went back to the wreckage that was formerly his car and searched for the bag of weapons that Joker brought along. Grabbing it, he pulled it out from within the car and grabbed the first thing he could: a sawed off shotgun. He checked to make sure it was loaded before taking off as fast as he could in the direction they had come from.

After running for a while, he finally got lucky and saw a guy pulling into a parking spot on the side of the road. Before the guy could notice him, Jonny picked up the pace and, once reaching where he needed to be, ducked and hid in the guy's blind spot. The minute the man opened the car door, Jonny jumped up and pointed the gun at the other man's face.

"Give me your keys. Now." The man did so, feebly blubbering "please don't kill me". Jonny made the man take several paces back away from the car before hopping in, putting the key into the ignition, and taking off back to where Viv, Joker and Harley were.

When he got there, Jonny could honestly say he was shocked. The Joker and Viv were giving the Bat a run for his money. The Joker was wild, chaotic, and unpredictable, flailing about like a man possessed. Viv was using this to her advantage by attacking wherever Batman had the least guarded while he was dealing with Joker, either stabbing and cutting him with the glass shard or hitting as hard as she could which was, judging by the Bat's reaction, pretty damn hard.

Jonny pulled over by where the wrecked car was. Almost immediately, Viv ran over to Harley, hauling her over her shoulder. Then she made a beeline towards where he was waiting, opening up the back door and placing Harley inside, climbing in next to her. She rolled down the window, then, and called out to the Joker.

"Boss! Hurry up!" Not needing to be told a second time, the Joker kicked the Batman in his knee to keep him still for a bit and then flat out sprinted towards the car, jumped over the hood, and clambered into the passenger side seat, slamming the door shut behind him.

Jonny floored it.

* * *

For a while, Jonny just drove. He wanted to be absolutely sure that the Bat wasn't following. He'd hate to be killed for leading the Batman right to one of Joker's establishments.

This continued for about 30 to 45 minutes when Harley finally came to. After some brief questions about what happened, and after they were answered, Harley began to complain about how she was unconscious for what was supposedly the "highlight" of date night.

Joker, then, immediately decided that there was more fun to be had.

Jonny inwardly cringed, hoping with every fiber of his being that they wouldn't have to go up against the Batman so soon after they'd only just got away.

This was not the case, however, as Joker ordered Jonny to drive to the Grin and Bare It; the Joker was in the mood to party, apparently.

So, on Jonny drove.

* * *

When they arrived, the place was already in full swing; somehow managing to go even crazier at their arrival.

After the day that Jonny had, he decided to throw caution to the wind and decided to just let loose.

Several hours later, Jonny couldn't remember anything that he had put into his body. He almost couldn't remember his own name. Everyone here had everything and he had more than likely dabbled in all of it. Which was why he was currently looking for Viv. He had become quite fond of the little "candies" she carried around, and often gave to him for a job especially well done.

He found her over at the bar, sipping on some sort of brown liquor. When she noticed his approach, she grinned at him, amusement making her eyes twinkle a little.

"You seem to be having fun."

"I'd like ta have a li'l _more_ fun, if you know what I mean…" Her right eyebrow shot up at this. "Oh…ss _shit_ , that sounded bad, didn' it?" He was slurring horribly. "Nah, I ain't talkin' 'bout _that_. Those, uh, "candies" you got…I want one." She shook her head chuckling, but nonetheless brought out that little plastic bag and place a small purple pill in the center of his palm. Jonny popped it into his mouth and took a seat next to Viv.

He kind of spaced off for an unknown (to him, anyway) amount of time. Viv just sat there drinking her drinks. He was finally brought out of his stupor by Harley climbing up to one of the poles, dedicating a dance to her "beloved Mistah J". Whether it was the booze, the drugs, or his own deep, innermost thoughts or whether it was a combination of the three, Jonny, looking up at Harley at that moment, suddenly had the thought that she was beautiful. He must have said it out loud because he heard Viv's snort of derision. He turned to her to try and defend his position.

"I know ya don't like her and all, but she's ssstill pretty good lookin'. Even _you_ have ta admit ta tha _t_." She hummed a bit in thought, until finally conceding.

"She's pretty in places, I'll give her that." Jonny was so surprised at her response he had actually dropped his drink. Or maybe he was just that inebriated? Eventually, he meandered away from the bar, from Viv, in search of things that might entertain him for a bit.

The rest of the night continued on in a haze for Jonny. Nothing felt real. Everything felt good. Harley looked like a kind of fallen angel on that pole. The Joker, like some kind of demonic clown. And eventually, even they seemed to blur into the emphasized colors and sounds that his trip provided.

What _did_ stand out to him, no matter how high he was, had been Viv.

With what she was wearing and her pale skin and hair, it was like she was just a washed out corner in the room to him. A colorless figure in a room filled with vibrant colors. He wondered if that was supposed to mean anything. He had even briefly contemplated on asking her if she might know, but decided against it. She would just dismiss it, and him.

So, he found himself in a corner of the room, sitting on some couch next to a couple who were more than likely going to go at it right then and there, watching her. As all the bright and colorful figures passed by. No matter who passed by or who she talked to, she never gained color.

Eventually, Jonny just chalked it up to him having taken a variety of substances and decided he should probably go to bed.

And promptly passed out on the couch he was sitting in.


	5. Chapter 4 - Mad Love

Chapter 4

It had been several weeks since the night of the "double date".

And things were tense. According to Viv, because of the whole debacle with the Batman, Two Face was starting to get arrogant. From what her plants in Two Face's gang told her, Dent took the whole escapade as Joker beginning to slip. He figured that it wouldn't take too long before he would end up in Arkham. And, if Dent had his way, it would be for as long as he could make it.

The Joker wasn't taking it well. Nearly every day, there would be a shoot out here, or a switching of allegiances there. Thus, the Joker was a ticking time bomb. Everyone, even Viv, couldn't be around him for long without him snapping at them.

And the person who was getting the brunt of all of it was Harley.

It was like Viv said. He only "loved" Harley because it was convenient for him to. And now his true colors were showing.

It started off with him calling her an idiot for something she had suggested; Jonny had thought it was a pretty decent idea, but the Joker wasn't having it.

Soon after, it became extreme berating for something as simple as trying to talk to him.

Then, the Joker had hit her. He had did it right there, in front of everyone. Nobody moved. Nobody knew what to do. They just knew that they didn't like it.

From there, it simply progressed.

And no one did anything. If they did, the Joker would kill them.

All anyone could do was watch in tense silence and then help patch Harley up once the damage was done.

It couldn't continue like this, though. He had told Viv this, and she agreed.

"If it keeps up for much longer, he'll end up really hurting her. Or worse." Jonny nodded, his face grim.

"What should we do?"

""We"?"

"Why do you think I brought it up? I don't think I'd be able to do much working alone." Viv heaved a sigh.

"Fine. Do you have any ideas then?"

"That's why I was askin' you." Another sigh.

"You know what? I'll just talk to her. There's nothing anyone can actually do short of trying to get between the two when he flips. And that's just bound to get someone killed. So, I'll talk to her about it, if she'll let me."

"When?"

"I don't know. This isn't the kind of thing you can just walk up to someone and talk casually with them about it. I guess I'll just have to wait for the right opportunity." Heavy silence settled between the two of them. The object of their discussion walked into the room.

She looked miserable. Her normal, bubbly self had been replaced with this poor, sad, beaten woman. Jonny swallowed thickly. He looked at Viv. Her body was rigid, and she looked like she might stand up for a moment. Her eyes were swimming with indecision. Finally, she simply relaxed, apparently deciding that it wasn't the time. Jonny agreed.

* * *

The tension that was constantly in the air was becoming unbearable. It was becoming hard to breath just by being in the same building as the Joker. Jonny was beginning to wonder if Two Face was right.

Having had enough of the tension, poor Harley tried her best to break it; to lighten the Joker's mood.

And the Joker snapped.

No one would ever forget the beating Harley took that day. Joker had just completely lost it on her.

One guy tried to intervene and the Joker just killed him. Shot him point blank. He had seemed to calm down after that, and walked off. It didn't matter at that point though.

Harley was on the ground, and for a moment Jonny had wondered if she was dead.

Viv went over, gave her a once over, before picking her up and starting to carry her elsewhere. Jonny stopped her.

"Is she gonna be okay…?"

"Maybe physically. As far as everything else goes…" She didn't have to finish. He knew. Everyone knew. Harley's love for the Joker was gonna get her killed. Jonny just hoped that whatever Viv would tell her, that it would help the poor woman to see that she needed to get out as soon as she could.


	6. Chapter 5 - Sober

Chapter 5

When Harley came to, the only thing she felt was pain.

She had only been trying to help. Her Puddin' had been so stressed out lately.

She had been _so sure_ that she could make him smile again! But, like always, she messed everything up; made everything worse.

It was almost enough to make her quit trying. Then, Harley would think about why she came with him in the first place; she could _reach him_! She knew she could. There was a side of him that only she could see, and in those moments, she would catch a glimpse of the man he was before. After she remembered, she would always find her resolve again. She _would_ help him.

She _loved_ him.

A voice broke through her thoughts.

"You're awake. Are you alright?" Harley looked up to see it was _that woman_. Vivian. Ever since she had met the woman, Harley hated her. Harley _knew_ she was trying to get between her and her Puddin'.

And she'd be damned if she let _that_ happen.

"Where am I? What do ya want?" She growled at the other woman. Vivian's face hardened.

"What a way to treat someone who spent the past 24 hours making sure you wouldn't die." Harley flinched, but her grimace returned shortly thereafter, determined to hate the woman in front of her.

"Nobody asked ya to." Vivian stared for a moment longer before turning away and speaking.

"To answer your earlier questions, you are in my room and I brought you here to patch you up." Vivian glanced back at Harley, her expression unreadable. "If you stick around, he'll be the death of you, you know." Harley bristled.

"Ya don't know that! I can _reach_ him! I can _help_ him! I just hafta tough it out! I just have to be a little stronger!"

" **There is nothing to reach or help**." Vivian's words cut through her and her resolve like a cold, sharp blade. "Just look at yourself! You're covered in bruises and bandages! And you still insist that he "loves" you and that there is something underneath the hate and madness. There _isn't._ This is all just a game to him. A joke. He's luring you in further and further because that's what he does. He finds something pure and taints and twists it until it's a reflection of his own warped heart."

" _I_ ain't pure."

"No. But your love for him _is_." Vivian's face softened. "He sees how devoted you are to him and so he wants to twist it and use it. Use it all up until you're lying broken on the floor. After which, he'll find a new toy to push to its limits."

"YOU'RE _LYING_!"

"You know I'm not."

"YES, YOU ARE! YOU-!" Harley broke off, from both the pain that shot through her body and the tears that were finding their way out of her eyes. "You…you just want Puddin' for yerself…"

"No. I don't." Vivian sat on the bed next to Harley. "I admit that I care for him, but not like that. I've known him and have worked with him since I was 12. I suppose it would be accurate to say that I'm…fond…of him. In a way." She paused a moment, allowing Harley to collect herself and wipe away her tears. "That being said, I've known him longer than most anyone else has. Believe me when I say he's playing you. You should get out while you still can."

After a weary sigh from Harley, a heavy silence fell between the two. Harley sat contemplating Vivian's words. A part of her, way deep down inside of her, knew that what Vivian had said was true. But…

"I…I _can't_. I can't leave him! He's…he's all I have! He's _everything_ ta me!" Harley looked up at Vivian, hoping, for some reason unknown to even herself, that the other woman would understand.

Vivian sighed, knowing the conversation was going nowhere, before a look of pure determination found its way onto her face.

"I can give you a way out. If you ever feel like he might kill you, or you just can't do it anymore, tell me. Give me a sign. I can have you somewhere safe in a matter of hours. You'll be able to start over. To heal." Vivian rested a hand on Harley's shoulder and gave a soft squeeze. Harley didn't answer, but placed her own hand over Vivian's and just held it there for a while.

Vivian was the first to break contact.

"Get some rest. With those injuries, you need plenty of it." And with that, Vivian left.

Harley thought on the matter for a few more minutes, before giving into her exhaustion and following Vivian's advice.


	7. Chapter 6 - Einstein

Chapter 6

For a moment, after Viv and Harley had talked, things had seemed to calm down. Jonny almost thought that things were going to go back to "normal", whatever that was.

This was not the case.

Joker's and Harley's relationship could be described as a "bipolar roller coaster". Every second something changed and shifted; sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically.

One second Joker and Harley were as thick as thieves.

The next, they were at each other's throats.

And now, Harley would fight back. Their fights would turn into an all-out brawl. Joker would kick there, Harley would punch there. They would beat each other bloody.

All the while, Viv would just observe. She kept a near constant watch on Harley, waiting for a sign that she wanted out.

At the rate things were going, Jonny figured it wouldn't happen. Harley was just too stubborn for her own good; and she was desperate for her suffering to not have been for nothing.

"I just hope she realizes that will be exactly the case if he ends up killing her." Viv had told him once.

Viv didn't patch her up anymore. Told him she wouldn't condone Harley staying by putting her back together each and every time he breaks her. Not when she's offered Harley a way out.

Jonny agreed, albeit with a heavy heart. Nearly everyone had grown a soft spot for the bubbly woman. No one liked to see her suffer like this. But, he understood Viv's point. You can't help those who don't want it. And just bandaging her up every time was just a temporary solution to the much bigger problem.

He, along with some other people, still helped patch her up from time to time, though.

No one wanted her to die.

And so, the vicious cycle continued.

And Viv watched and waited.

And Jonny hoped against hope that Harley would take Viv up on her offer.

'Cause the only other way it could end would be…

Well, he didn't want to think about that.


	8. Chapter 7 - Breaking Point

Chapter 7

Things had started off normally.

Jonny came to see Viv and give report on how the jobs he had been assigned went. It had been in the middle of this report that things had started to go south.

It had started with the shouting. Always the shouting. Both Viv and himself became tense. They waited for a moment, to see if things would escalate.

Next thing they knew, Harley was literally thrown out of the room she and the Joker were in, going painfully _through_ the door in the process, before landing quite a few feet from where Joker's "office" was.

Harley slowly picked herself off the floor, and then proceeded _back_ to where Joker was.

More screaming.

Things were thrown.

The sounds of a tussle.

A brief pause.

Harley, "Puddin', no-!"

 _A gunshot_.

Viv didn't move. Jonny didn't hesitate. He ran towards the source of the fighting. Viv snapped out of it, and followed him closely behind.

From their spot in the doorway, they could see Harley on the ground, clutching at the wound and slowly bleeding out. The Joker, having now eliminated what he saw as a nuisance, was already back at his desk writing down who knows what.

Quietly, Jonny snuck in and picked Harley off the ground. If the Joker was aware of the intrusion, he showed no indication of it.

Once they were a good distance away from the Joker, Jonny spoke:

"We need to get her to a doctor." Viv frowned a bit, before reaching into her pocket and pulling out her car keys. She then placed the keys into his own pocket, before starting to walk away. "You're not going to help?" he asked her, incredulous.

"There's a doctor, his office is on 52nd street. You'll see it. He does good work and doesn't ask questions. Give my name. Let me know if she makes it." She started to walk away once more, before Jonny asked the earlier question once more. She turned around with a mild look of annoyance.

"I have my reasons. We'll discuss it later. Since you're so keen on saving her you might want to just hurry instead of standing around and talking." With that, she spun on her heel and briskly walked off in the opposite direction.

Jonny, following her advice, made his way to Viv's car outside as quickly as possible.

Once he made sure Harley was secure in her seat, and that the makeshift bandage he had placed over the wound wouldn't slip or fall, Jonny sped away to the doctor Viv had mentioned earlier.

* * *

She had made it.

It had been by the skin of her teeth, but Harley Quinn had survived the whole ordeal.

While she was resting, Jonny took the opportunity to call and inform Viv. Her phone had rung twice before she answered, voice gruff. He looked at the time; it was 3:30 in the morning, no wonder she sounded grouchy.

"Sorry to be calling so early, Viv. I just thought I'd let you know, Harley made it. Now, if you-" Viv cut him off.

"Good. Meet me in front of the 'Grin and Bare It' at precisely 8:30. I'll explain everything then." She hung up.

Jonny heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair before glancing over at Harley's sleeping figure. He still couldn't figure out why Viv had refused to outwardly help. Was she scared? No, Viv was like the Joker in that regard; completely fearless.

Then, what?

Did she _want_ Harley to die?

His thoughts stilled momentarily before he shook the notion from his mind. She wouldn't have helped patch her up all those times if she had wanted Harley dead. Not to mention she could have easily killed Harley herself.

Jonny pondered for a few more minutes before deciding that he wasn't getting anywhere with it. He decided to just try and get some rest.

Besides, Viv said she would explain it all in the morning.

* * *

When he arrived, Viv was already waiting on him; leaning against a car he assumed she "borrowed".

"So, you said you was going to explain." Jonny realized his tone was curt, but he was still frustrated because he didn't know why Viv had been adamant about not helping. It had been bothering him from the moment he woke up.

"Alright, fine. I didn't help because Joker shot her." Jonny waited for further explanation, but when he received none, he let loose.

" _That's it_? The only reason you didn't try to save her is because he _shot her_? That's why you _shoulda_ helped!" As he began yelling, he walked closer and closer to Viv, not even realizing it, "You said it yourself! _He's a fucking psychopath_! He-!"

 _Click_.

The minute he stepped too close, Viv drew her gun and aimed straight for his head. Viv's voice was cold and sharp when she spoke next.

"The explanation I gave should be enough. The fact that I even gave one at all was generous. Yet, you have the _audacity_ to demand more from me? From _me_?" Viv mad her way over to Jonny as she spoke, until she was close enough to hold the gun directly to his head. To say Jonny was scared would be an understatement. "What was the first thing I taught you, Jonny-Jonny? I believe it was "Don't get cocky"? And yet here you are, not only questioning me, but the Joker, as well? You must be out of your fucking mind." Viv pulled back the hammer of the gun and, for a moment, frightened blue met merciless grey and Jonny knew he was going to die.

Then without warning, Viv put her gun away. Jonny gave a huge breath of relief, and Viv continued speaking.

"I like you, Jonny, so I'll make an exception. Just. This. Once." Viv pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She grabbed one and put it to her lips before lighting it and taking a few puffs. "When I say "the reason is because Joker shot her", it means that, if it were just any other old beating, I would have helped and waited for a signal. But, he shot her. Meaning the boss wanted her dead. Which means that anybody who helps her is directly interfering with what the boss wants and, as horrible as it is, I will not ever go against the boss. Ever." A long drag, a long breath outward, "Now, since you so insisted on helping her, we're going to have to cover your ass. Harley Quinn no longer gets the choice to leave. If she returns, she's dead and you're dead. So, the plan is this: I've got a safehouse already picked out for her to stay at for a while. I'm gonna give her some cash and she's going to get the hell out of dodge and never come back. When she's feeling better, naturally." Jonny gave his assent. "Glad you agree with me." Viv stated, sardonically. "Let me know when she wakes up." She then went back into her car and drove off. Jonny did the same and made his way back to the hospital.

* * *

A few days passed before Harley finally woke up. The minute her eyes cracked open, Jonny called and informed Viv. The sooner Harley knew what would happen, the sooner she could make peace with it and, hopefully, move on with her life.

" _Absolutely not!_ " Harley screeched. Jonny hushed her, only to be ignored.

"You act like you have a choice in the matter." Viv was unyielding.

"Because I _do_!"

"No. _You do not_. I've waited for days on end as your beatings became gradually worse. He shot you with the intent to kill. If you go back, he'll not only do it again, but kill any of those involved in saving you; namely, Jonny and myself. I have no intention of dying anytime soon, and I'm certain Jonny feels the same way. You are going to that safehouse, even if I have to chop off your arms and legs to get you there, do you understand?" The entirety of Viv's wrath was pressed upon Harley that all Harley could do was squeak out a small "yes".

From there, arrangements were made. The minute Harley was recovered, she would be driven off to Viv's safehouse in Metropolis, never to look back. Naturally, Jonny would be driving her. Needed someone she trusted to do the job, Viv had said.

* * *

Some time had passed before Harley had healed enough to finally be released. The day of, Viv showed up and gave Harley a set of keys and an envelope filled with money. She turned to Jonny.

"Here's the keys to the car I'm using now. I want mine back." They traded keys and Viv gave him the address to the safehouse.

Afterwards, with extreme reluctance on Harley's part, Jonny and Harley left to go to the safehouse.

The drive started off in silence, before, Jonny guessed, Harley couldn't take it anymore.

"I miss my Puddin'…" Jonny rolled his eyes.

"He abused you."

"He just gets a little rough sometimes, that's all…"

"He _shot_ you! He _tried to kill you_!" Harley laughed, and Jonny wondered for a moment just how crazy Harley was.

"Oh, _that_? It was just a joke! Viv was just bein' a drama queen! The doctor even told me where he shot me wasn't fatal! It just hurt like hell!" Jonny's thoughts froze a moment, then raced. The way Viv had said it, the wound was life or death. She had said Joker had shot with the intent to kill? Did she lie? Or was Harley lying right now? Jonny shook his head, clearing the clutter and confusion. Viv wouldn't lie to him. Harley just wanted to get back to the Joker. She would say anything.

"That doesn't mean it couldn't happen. If ya don't draw the line somewhere, then ya won't know when he's crossed anythin' 'til it's too late." Harley crossed her arms and pouted like a child.

"Yeah? Well, who asked ya? Why do ya even _care_?" Jonny got quiet. He _knew_ why, but he hadn't been able to admit to himself, let alone anyone else, yet. Considering that, he decided to give an answer that didn't say _too_ much.

"Because you remind me of someone I know. And what they went through. And you both deserve better than that."

What he said must have struck a chord or hit a nerve because, afterwards, the car ride was dead silent. Harley didn't so much as crack a joke. Jonny made no attempt at small talk. Any words that might have been said were suffocated in the heavy atmosphere.

* * *

By the time they reached the safehouse, time had crept into the early hours of the morning. Jonny would have asked to stay the night, if only to try and get some rest before the long drive back, but he strangely felt that it wouldn't be appropriate. So, he toughed it out in his car until he felt he had enough rest for the drive home.

Throughout the drive, Jonny let his mind wander. He thought about Harley. He wondered if she would be able to put the pieces back together again or if she would, eventually, find her way back to the Joker. He thought about the Joker. Working for him had been a blast, at first. Then, over time, everything became miserable.

He thought about Viv, too. A lot.

He thought about how easy it was to forget that she was only 23. Crime and murder were all she knew. She never had the chance to live a normal life. And her years with the Joker bound her to him like a chain. She was so loyal to him, even when she shouldn't be.

He wondered…

He wondered if, maybe, she would leave that world with him.

He had been thinking about it for a while now. With the war that was going on between Two-Face and the Joker, the tension around the gang and the boss was suffocating. People were dying left and right. Places getting shot up at random. Nobody was safe and nearly everyone was losing their grip on their sanity. Maybe, even Viv.

He supposed that's why he wanted to help Harley so badly. He needed to know that someone who became so badly wrapped up in the Joker could leave it all and learn to live a normal life.

He needed to know that they could be saved.

For Viv's sake.

* * *

AN: Whoo...that was a long chapter...Please feel free to let me know what you think of the story so far! :)


	9. Chapter 8 - Beautiful

Chapter 8

That night, Vivian dreamed of God again.

These dreams were a brief respite from the nightmares and memories she normally dreamed of. Nightmares and memories filled with her upbringing as a would-be assassin; consisting of flashes of pain, fear, and blood from which she would wake up in a cold-sweat. When she would wake, she would carry the dream with her for a moment. Sometimes for a few seconds and sometimes for several long and terrifying minutes where she would tremble and struggle to breathe as faces would fly by in her mind at a dizzying pace.

She cherished the nights she dreamed of God.

When most people think of God, they think of an old man with a long white beard up in the sky, a pillar of light coming from the clouds, or a deep and soothing voice that echoed around you when it spoke filling you with the sheer magnitude of its presence.

That was not the God Vivian dreamed of. In fact, in comparison to what others considered to be God, people would probably tell her that she was dreaming of the devil.

She dreamed of swirling flames, burning hot and consuming everything around them.

She dreamed of man dancing and laughing in those flames without a care in the world. The flames would lick and burn him, but he would continue to laugh and act without fear.

He was chaos.

He was _freedom_.

He was beautiful.


	10. Chapter 9 - Relapse

Chapter 9

Harley simply couldn't take it anymore.

Sure, it had been nice at first.

She went shopping, slept until however long she liked, and even made a few friends along the way; she would definitely have to meet up with Red and Selina again sometime soon.

Eventually, though, she started to miss her Puddin'.

Yeah, he was rough sometimes, but there were those moments, when it was just the two of them, where he was his real self with her. Where his anger and hate for the world didn't cloud his mind and judgement. Where he was sweet and would tell her things that no one else but her would ever know. Those were the moments she lived for.

She knew things had been real bad when she left, but it's been three months, for crying out loud! THREE. MONTHS.

Three months of no Puddin'.

Three months of no _real_ fun.

Three months of no **whoopee cushion**.

Three months of no whoopee cushion were three months too long.

So now, Harley is currently making her way into the old Ha-Hacienda! She just _knew_ her Puddin' will be so happy to see her!

When Harley finally reached the interior, everyone turned around to regard her. Most people were more than a little shocked at her sudden entrance. Some people even seemed happy. Out of the corner of her eye, Harley saw Viv.

Viv wasn't happy to see her.

At all.

But that didn't matter! Only one person's reaction to her return held any sway in Harley's heart, and that was the reaction of her Puddin'!

She made her way over to where his "office" was and opened the door.

He was hunched over his desk scribbling who-knows-what down and muttering to himself. When he got like this, Harley knew it was hard to get his attention, but she knew that after three months, he would be _more_ than willing to put all that aside for a moment of "celebration".

"Hi Puddin'! I'm back!"

No reaction. All right, time to play hard ball. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear.

"Puddin'? Didn'tcha miss me?" He growled and struggled out of her grasp.

"Go away, Harley." Harley felt her lower lip start to wiggle; a sure warning sign that she was about to start crying.

"But Puddin'! I've been gone for _three months_! You didn't miss me at all?" Joker paused his writing, and turned around with a look of genuine surprise on his scarred face.

"You were gone?"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Before she could stop it, Harley let out a whimper, and then a choked sob. How could he not even notice she had been gone for so long? Especially when each day away from him had been agony for her! Maybe coming back had been a mistake.

As she was about to turn and leave, Joker grabbed her arm and pulled her into his lap, surprising her.

"Aw, I'm sorry, Kiddo. I just get so busy sometimes. You know that! What with all this fighting with Dent going on, it's hard for me to focus on a whole bunch at once." He stroked her face and rubbed the tears out of her eyes. "How about this, I finish these plans up here in the next few hours, and then we have the rest of the night to ourselves!" He gave _the_ smile. That one smile reserved just for her in these tender moments.

Harley felt her heart swoon.

"Alright, Puddin'! It's a date!" And she bounded off.

As she left Puddin's office, Viv once again caught her eye. Viv's expression was unreadable, but she knew Viv was still mad. Harley felt a little guilty, especially considering all the trouble Viv and Jonny went through to get her out of that situation, but Harley shook it off as quickly as it came.

Things were going to be different between her and her Puddin', this time.

They had to be.


	11. Chapter 10 - Tremble

Chapter 10

It's been a few weeks since Harley's returned.

In the time that she had been away, the feud between Joker and Two-Face continued to grow. Tensions were high all around. Fights would break out between anyone over anything.

And if the Joker was around, someone usually ended up dead.

Oddly enough, though, the Joker had seemed to calm down a little after Harley's return. Jonny figured she had helped him relieve some pent-up frustrations the first few days she had been back. He had begun to wonder if they were ever gonna leave the bedroom.

Of course, with Harley's return came Viv's complete drop in mood. He understood why, though. He and Viv both put their necks on the line to get her out of there, and then she comes waltzing back like nothing ever happened. The difference between Viv and him, though, was that Viv's mood continued to decrease. Sure, she was okay when it's just her and whoever else, but the minute Harley's even within earshot, and it's like a switch is flipped and that cold, glass-like version of Viv surfaces.

Right now, they were at the "Grin and Bare It" celebrating over an attack on one of Two-Face's warehouses; which he had apparently conducted quite a bit of business through. Everyone was in a good mood. It was the kind of victory that they had needed. Badly.

Joker seemed content for the moment.

Harley was being Harley.

Even Viv seemed a little relaxed.

Jonny had already had several drinks and was working up quite the buzz.

Until they heard tires squealing outside. Next thing Jonny knew, the windows are blasted in and bullets are flying everywhere. He somehow managed to duck somewhere and avoid getting shot for the moment.

He heard screaming, but he was too scared to really try and look around as the bullets kept flying through. While whoever it was continued to shoot, Jonny lost all sense of time. He knew only a few seconds had passed, but it felt like hours. He dreaded seeing the damage that had been dealt.

Eventually, the shooting did stop, and the second it did, Jonny heard the Joker snarl and go running outside, firing his gun as he ran.

Tires squealing.

More gunfire.

And then the Joker's howls of rage.

Jonny worked up the nerve to finally look around.

And he instantly regretted it.

A few of the dancers, who had moments ago had been twirling around on their poles looking as sexy as ever, were now lying on the stage in pools of their own blood with bullet wounds all over their exposed skin.

Some of the guys were gone, too. Some he knew well, some he didn't. But they all had bits of their brains on the floor and that same unblinking stare that came with death. Well, for those who still had their faces, anyway.

Some people weren't dead, but they were as good as. Jonny could only stare helplessly as they clutched at their wounds, desperately trying to keep their blood from spilling out as quickly as it was.

As far as Jonny could tell, he was one of the lucky few. He had lucked out and managed to not get hit at all. He looked over and saw Viv; she had been grazed but was relatively okay. Harley looked scared out of her mind, but uninjured.

Jonny then went to survey the overall damage to the bar.

It was bad.

Nearly all the liquor had been shot through, the furniture was severely damaged, and the windows were just plain gone. Blood and glass were everywhere. Fucking hell.

Jonny was pulled from his assessment when the Joker came barging back in like a mad dog.

"FUCK!" He raged. "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! _FUCK_!" He began throwing within reach. Anyone that could still move, dodged. This went on for several fear-charged minutes until he eventually just stopped. Everyone stood as still as they could. Even the slightest movement or breath could set him off again.

Eventually, one guy carefully approached him;

"Bos- _ck_!" Before the guy could even get a word out, Joker had grabbed a broken bottle from atop the bar counter and stabbed the poor guy in the neck and face. Repeatedly. No one could do anything but watch as the Joker let loose. When he was finally done, the guy was practically unrecognizable. The Joker let out a huge sigh and smoothed his wild hair out of his face, smearing the fresh blood on the sides of his face and in his hair, apparently unbothered by. Then he opened his eyes and fixed everyone in that room with a stare that froze Jonny to the core.

"We," he began very slowly, "are not letting them get away with this." He paused once again looking around the room, his gaze lingering on each person a tad longer than was comfortable. Jonny couldn't breathe. Then, the Joker slammed his hand repeatedly on the bar counter and screamed.

"YOU DO NOT _FUCKING_ CROSS _ME_ AND GET AWAY WITH IT!" Spit flew from his mouth with each word. After a beat, he returned to his calmer tone. "If Dent wants a war, let's give him a war." And with that, he strode out of the "Grin and Bare It" with Harley and Viv trailing worriedly behind him.

Jonny, along with everyone else still alive and coherent in the bar, were all frozen where they stood. Jonny knew that Joker was right in that they couldn't let this stand, but Jonny felt like this was a bit bigger than they could handle. If Two-Face was bold enough to have Joker personally attacked, then they were in for a real shit-show if they went through with this.

After a moment, Jonny ordered one of the other "lucky ones" to call for an ambulance so that those that could be helped would get it and those that couldn't would at least get some pain meds to make the passing somewhat easier. Once the call was made Jonny and a few of the others departed for the hideout, whereas the rest stayed behind to wait for the ambulance (and probably the police) to arrive.

The way back was filled with heavy silence. No one knew what to say or if anything even needed to be said. By the time they arrived back, Jonny still couldn't get those images out of his head.

That night, Jonny didn't sleep.


End file.
